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Govt. has given first priority to roads and bridges at a time of economic crisis – Kiriella

Published

5 years ago

2020/11/22

Sahan Weerasooriya

BUDGET DEBATE

by Saman Indrajith

People hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has led to an economic crisis, did not expect the government to consider roads and bridges as its first priority in the budget proposals. What the masses looked forward to were relief measures to regain their livelihoods, Chief Opposition Whip, Kandy District MP, Lakshman Kiriella told Parliament.

Speaking during the second reading stage debate on budget 2021 proposals, MP Kiriella said: People in all strata of life have common expectations from any budget – that’s relief and pay hikes. They do not wait till the budget comes to see how many roads or bridges the government is planning to build. Their hope is to see what the government would do to help them solve their day-to-day problems.

The government cannot say that it is not possible to give relief to the people. Soon after it came to power, it granted Rs. 600 billion in tax concessions to its friendly businessmen. By doing so, such a colossal amount was lost as government revenue. Now, what are those companies saying in return? They have taken up the position that due to the pandemic crisis this year, they will not be able to pay taxes next year as well. If the government could help the rich in that manner, why can’t it help the poor to survive?, he asked.

Kiriella said that if the government did not give Rs 600 billion relief to the big companies, they could have used the money to help the people. What do you intend to tell the people when you go to villages? Around 200,000 persons have lost their jobs during the past several months. Every public institution has lost around 40 percent of their revenue.

“Just like every government in the world talking about the indigenous economy when they have lost everything, this government too now talks of promoting the indigenous economy.

We remember that the United Front Government also talked about the indigenous economy during 1970-77. The government starts talking of indigenous medicine when it does not have foreign exchange”, he said.

“The government lost a huge sum of money by helping its friends. Now it does not have money to do business with the international community. The day would not be far when we see long queues lining up in front of shops because there is bound to be shortage of goods. Cooperatives are already empty. I heard that the Bokkawela cooperative shop in Kandy was closed because there were no goods. This is the reality in the country”, he further said.

“The government should not forget that people have been hard hit by the pandemic and they deserve relief. Since the first budget after we came to power, we offered immense relief to the people. We brought down the prices of sugar, milk powder, Sustagen, bread, sprats, canned fish, Maldive fish, rice and chillies. We increased Samurdhi payments. We increased the Mahapola bursary. We gave a seven perch plot of land to estate workers. We increased the salaries of public servants. We reduced the price of gas. There is nothing of that sort in this budget,” MP Kiriella said.

“We increased the salaries of each public servant by Rs. 10,000. What are you going to give? You are proposing them to do another job after their regular work. From 9 am to 4 pm they work in their offices and could people have the energy to do another job? Who would be at home then? When will these people have time to rest? We call on the government not to play with the lives of people”, the Kandy district parliamentarian added.

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President meets senior officials of the Urban Development Authority

Published

30 mins ago

2026/05/18

Priyan

A discussion between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and senior officials of the Urban Development Authority (UDA) was held this afternoon (18) at the Presidential Secretariat.

The meeting focused extensively on new development projects planned by the Urban Development Authority. The President emphasised the need to ensure that the budgetary allocations made for these projects in the current year are utilised effectively within the same financial year.

Detailed discussions were also held on projects planned to be implemented jointly by multiple institutions, including the importance of holding consultations with all relevant agencies to reach final decisions and the need to clearly define responsibilities for each institution in both implementation and maintenance phases of the projects.

Attention was drawn to key initiatives such as the Kelani River flood control project, water management projects in Colombo city and the Beira Lake restoration project. The need for a dedicated programme for low-income housing in areas such as Ratmalana and Moratuwa was also highlighted. During the discussion, Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake underscored the importance of introducing a structured management framework for the effective coordination of certain projects.

Deputy Minister of Urban Development, Eranga Gunasekara, Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, Senior Professor Kapila C.K. Perera, Chairman of the Urban Development Authority (UDA), M.G. Hemachandra and the Heads representing the Urban Settlement Development Authority (USDA), Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation (SLLDC), National Physical Planning Department (NPPD) and the Condominium Management Authority (CMA) were also present at the meeting.

(PMD)

News

CEAT Kelani Branch Inter-Company Employees’ Union makes donation to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund

Published

35 mins ago

2026/05/18

Priyan

The Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the Kelaniya Branch of CEAT Sri Lanka has made a financial donation of Rs. 1,148,000.00, a day’s salary of its members to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund established to support the restoration of livelihoods and the rebuilding of areas affected by cyclone Ditwah.

Secretary of the Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the CEAT Kelani Branch, D.G.S.D. Navaratne, handed over the donation to the Chief of Staff to the President, Prabhath Chandrakeerthi at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (18).

Treasurer of the Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the CEAT Kelani Branch, Y.P.I.C. Karunathilaka, together with members of the Executive Committee, were also present on the occasion.

(PMD)

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Prime Minister off to the United Kingdom to participate in the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum

Published

2 hours ago

2026/05/18

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya departed on an official visit to the United Kingdom to participate in the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) 2026 Board of Governors Meeting.

During the visit, the Prime Minister is scheduled to participate in several high-level academic and diplomatic engagements aimed at strengthening cooperation in the fields of education, development studies, research collaboration, and international partnerships.

As part of the visit, the Prime Minister will meet with Ms.Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education of the United Kingdom, at the UK Department for Education, to discuss areas of cooperation in education and related sectors. She is also expected to meet Ms.Yvette Cooper, Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, for discussions on matters of bilateral interest and cooperation between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.

In addition, the Prime Minister is expected to meet Ms.Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, on the sidelines of the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) 2026 Board of Governors Meeting.

During the visit, the Prime Minister will attend a public event at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex and she will also take part in the ceremony marking the 60th Anniversary of the Institute of Development Studies. The Prime Minister is also scheduled to address a session at the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies at the University of Oxford, followed by a question-and-answer session with scholars and students.

The visit is expected to strengthen Sri Lanka’s engagement with academic institutions, international development partners, and Commonwealth member states, particularly in the areas of education, research, policy dialogue, and capacity building.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]